March 2015 cape camera

CAPE CAMERA March 2015 Official Newsletter of the

Cape Town Photographic Society

In this issue President’s message

2

AV news update

11

Top images set

News flashes

3

Juhan Kuus report

12

Top images open

17

Early photo techniques 4

April E&D Africa focus 13

Other top images

18

Red bus outing

8

Star trail weekend

14

Judging forum course 20

125 Year event update 10

Introducing judges

15

125 Year Diary

16

22

-2-

Cape Camera • February 2015

A

President’s message

s each month goes

by I need to think of something of note to share with you.

When looking at my bookshelves this month my eyes focused on two items.

The first was a book with the title Picture Perfect, Cape Town & Garden Route This is a photographic guide giving details on how to capture the best shot in 50 top beauty spots.

There are little maps showing you where the different spots are. It is small and could fit into your camera bag.

On so many occasions friends and visitors come to Cape Town and they ask you, “Where can I get interesting photos?” The type of lens, aperture, shutter speed and flash needed are also listed.

The second book that drew my attention is one our daughter gave us. The book is called Hidden Cape Town,

by Paul Duncan and Alain Proust.

This is more of a coffee table publication and it has images of all the most exquisite places in Cape Town that

Monthly meetings NB: April meetings on 8th, 15th and 22nd.

Monthly meetings are held in the St Stephens Church Hall in Pinelands at 7pm.

1st Wednesday: Competition 2nd Wednesday: Audio-visual 3rd Wednesday: Education & Development.

CTPS Contact details:

Website: www.ctps.co.za Email: info@ctps.co.za Facebook : www.facebook.com/ groups/1530153687246454.

www.ctps.co.za

•

Cape Camera dates 2015

On the cover The Print Open Salon winner and PSSA senior entry:

Innocence (26) by Marius-Lee Pretorius.

“The composition is just right and there is just enough light from the side of the face,” said judge Antenie Carstens, who also thinks the soft lighting works very well.

CTPS council members

President Vice-president Development & Education

Honorary Secretary

Honorary Treasurer

only a few people venture to enter.

The images depict internal scenes of most of the places portrayed.

Just some of the places portrayed are churches, museums, buildings of historic note, street scenes and landscapes.

I also have a book called Master Photographers. I would like to share some of the last words these master photographers had to say.

I’m sure that these words will also influence your work to a certain degree.

Ansel Adams: My last word is that it all depends on what you visualise.

Harry Callahan: Photography is a modern medium. Like the roof of the Sistine Chapel, it should be for all the people.

Elliott Erwitt: All the technique in the world doesn’t compensate for the inability to notice.

Arnold Newman: We don’t take picture with our cameras—we take them with our hearts and minds.

With active minds use your camera wisely.

Yours in photography, Detlef Basel Hon PSSA, APSSA

Detlef Basel Nicol du Toit Karyn Parisi Jacoba van Zyl Nicol du Toit

Copyright 2014

Cape Camera is published after the last CTPS function of that month.

Any contributions are most welcome. Please submit at editor@ ctps.co.za.

Material deadlines: April 2015: 20 April May 2015: 2 June (after the CTPS Congress weekend) June 2015: 22 June July 2015: 27 July August 2015: 26 August September 2015: 24 September October 2015 31 October November 2015 23 November

Property Manager Competitions Convenor Audio-visual Convenor

Public Relations Officer Publications Officer

•

Richard Goldschmidt Lesley Parolis Robert Maginley Steffne Hughes Trudi du Toit

Cape Town Photographic Society

-3-

Cape Camera • February 2015

CTPS news flashes

Members do well in salons

Jeanette du Toit a Certificate of Merit for her entry Mysterious Misty De Hoop in the Scapes - Colour category of the Ermelo Salon. She also gained acceptances in this salon for Action Refelction, Yummy ... Yummy, Face to Face and De Hoop 6.

Steff Hughes also got an Acceptance for her image Sunrise in the Scapes - Colour category of the Ermelo Salon. This image was also Accepted in the 1st Kathu Digital Special Theme Salon category Scapes: Sunrise or Sunset. She also received an acceptance for the image Sunset Fisherman (below) in the same category of this salon.

Mo Bassa got Acceptance for his image Cape Town Minstrels Carnival in the PSSA National Digital Salon in the Our Counrrt category.

PSSA cuts salons

Despite strong opposition from clubs in the Western Cape, the PSSA has decided to reduce the number of salons to a maximum of 20 per year “to ensure efficient management for both the salons and the entrants,” reports president Jill Sneesby (right).

“All salons currently on the calendar will be accommodated, although, after discussion with the salons concerned, the timing will be changed.”

Full details to follow later.

CTPS meeting dates in 2015

Dawn Fishrman by Steff Hughes (23) was also entered as a PDI Open Advanced image in the March club competition.

New member welcomed

Linda Murran from Gordon’s Bay is the newest member of CTPS. This brings the number of paid-up CTPS members to 135.

Lee Slabber’s image of Chapman’s Peak burning was one of the first of many images of the Table Mountain fire which created interest across the world.

Month April May June July August September October November December

Competition 8 6 3 1 5 2 7 4 2

AV 15 13 10 8 12 9 14 11 9

E&D 22 20 17 15 19 16 21 18 No E&D

Albums created for CTPS outings images

Please submit images of CTPS organised outings to the albums on Photovault under the heading My Club Entries/CTPS 125 year celebrations that you wish to share for use in Cape Camera or the AV’s made by Robert Maginley and the AV group, and for any promotional use

by CTPS of our 125 celebrations.

2015 Set subject themes

CTPS founder and mountain fires

The Set subject themes for 2015 will be: 8 April: Monochrome 6 May: Nature 3 June: Hands and feet 1 July: Low key 5 August: Macro 2 September: Scapes 7 October: 125 year celebrations 4 November: Shadows and/or reflections 2 December Rustic

www.ctps.co.za

•

Photographers played a big role in creating world interest in the devastation of the recent Table Mountain fires. In the first great fire recorded in 1894, another photographer, CTPS founder and first vice-president TW Cairncross, organised the army to protect the city when strong winds drove the flames down the mountain.

•

Copyright 2014

Cape Town Photographic Society

Cape Camera • February 2015

-4Left: A donkey was needed to transport this early photographer’s equipment.

Opposite page right: The invention of the motor car made a photographer’s life infinitely easier.

Opposite page far right: A letter from CTPS president Eric Vertue thanking a mr Copley for the donation of the Kodak folding camera to the society’s collection of photographic memorabilia.

CTPS 125 years

Cameras, lenses & printing used by older members JOY WELLBELOVED researched the photographic equipment and techniques used by members when they founded the society and bravely traipsed across Cape Town to take many of the early images we still have on record

T

he early cameras used around the time when CTPS was founded in 1890, were known by the size of the glass plates they used. As most early prints were contact prints, serious landscape photographers used full plate cameras, and portrait photographers used even bigger cameras.

Quarter plate cameras were used by amateurs.

But, even these amateur cameras were big and heavy compared to the cameras

www.ctps.co.za

•

Copyright 2014

we use today.

The most common plate sizes were: • Full plate - 6½ x 8½ (16.5 x 21.5 cm) • Half plate - 4¾ x 6½ (12 x 16.5 cm) • Quarter Plate - 3¼ x 4¼ (8.25 x 10.8 cm).

Portrait cameras used in studios were even bigger — with huge 20 x 24 inch (50 x 60cm) plates, as can be seen from the photo left of our president Detlef Basel standing next to a portrait studio camera in the CTPS collection.

Several of these cameras bought by the society in the early years will soon be on display at the Cape Town Science Centre in Observatory.

The trend towards small, hand-held cameras like the new Kodak One of CTPS’s plate cameras from around the turn of the previous century, showing the plate holder with dark slide almost completely removed.

•

Cape Town Photographic Society

-5-

Box Brownie, were regarded as passing fads (right).

Lenses circa 1890 The single most important item in a camera system is the lens. Good lenses are tricky to design as each colour of the rainbow comes to a different focal point.

It was not until new glass types were developed in the late 1880’s that compound lenses with better optical properties could be produced.

From around 1890, a lens that had a word like anastigmatic in its name, completely corrected spherical aberration, coma, and astigmatism.

Left: A complete combination lens set made by Darlot of Paris — one basic lens and seven accessory lenses, one adapter ring, eight waterhouse stops, one pneumatic shutter, and a leather cap.

Shutters developed When exposures were measured in minutes, there was no need for shutters. You simply removed, then later replaced, the lens cap.

Early shutter developments included shutters that were driven by elastic bands or clockwork, while others used compressed air – you squeezed a rubber bulb, and the shutter opened – which is where the bulb time exposure term comes from!

Later still, as emulsions became more sensitive, shutters that were able to go down to fractions of a second

www.ctps.co.za

•

Copyright 2014

Cape Camera • February 2015

became common.

Recording the image Over the years the various processes by which images were recorded changed rapidly as new discoveries were made.

Initially, every recorded image was unique, as it could not be reproduced (e.g. Daguerreotypes and Ambrotypes). The discovery of the paper negative allowed multiple copies of the same recorded image to be produced.

Some early printing processes were: • Daguerreotypes – The term daguerreotype refers to a unique process invented by Louis Daguerre in 1839. The image is recorded on a highly polished silver surface on a copper backing. Daguerreotypes appear as positive or negative images, depending on how they are viewed. By 1860, Daguerreotypes were being replaced by new less expensive processes.

• Ambrotypes – The Ambrotype process was in general use from 1855 to around 1865. It produced a positive silver image on glass. Although often confused with Daguerreotypes, an Ambrotype always appears as a positive image, no matter the angle of view.

• Collodion wet plate process – The Collodion process was introduced in the 1850s. By 1860 it had almost entirely replaced the Daguerreotype. Due to its ability to record microscopically fine detail, it was still in use in the printing industry 100 years later.

To take a wet plate photograph you needed a portable darkroom in which to prepare, then coat, a suitably sized piece of glass with a light sensitive emulsion. This was then placed in the camera and exposed and developed before it dried — hence the To p6 term wet plate.

•

Cape Town Photographic Society

Cape Camera • February 2015

-6-

The Crown and Woolpack – a fine example of the quality obtainable from a Calotype paper negative by J.M. Heathcote in 1852.

CTPS early member and renowned architectural photographer Arthur Elliott took this picture during the building of the Rhodes memorial, which was completed in 1912 .

Opposite page: In the beginning of the 20th century Kodak was a leading camera brand.

1839 by William Henry Fox Talbot, this revolutionary process allowed you for the first time to make multiple positive prints from a single image. By 1850 the Calotype process was gradually superseded by the the collodian process in camera, then printing onto albumen paper • Contact Prints – Until photographic emulsions became sensitive enough all prints were made as contact prints (often exposed by the sun in the early days).

If you wanted an 8 x 10 inch print, you had to take an Once you have an exposed and developed plate, you get 8 x 10 inch glass plate, using an 8 x 10 inch camera. a reversed image (black appears as white – what we now • Enlargements – Silver bromide printing-out paper, call a negative) which must be processed again to create which became commercially available in the 1880s, a positive image, where black is black. The easiest way to was so sensitive it no longer needed to be exposed by do this is by making a contact print — either onto suitsunlight. ably treated glass to make a lantern slide, or onto suit- • Magic lanterns became the first enlargers from the ably prepared paper.

1880s. Magic lantern enlargers allowed photographers Over the years, there have been to selectively influence the tonal many different types of print as Calotypes, invented in 1839 by content of the print by means of advances were made and new William Henry Fox Talbot, is a photographic techniques such as techniques discovered. Some ex- revolutionary process that for the dodging (allowing less light) or first time allowed you to make amples are as follows: burning (allowing more light) to • Salt Prints were the earli- multiple positive prints from a fall on certain areas of the image est form of a photographic single image during exposure. positive paper and the most • Print toncommon print produced up until the invention of the ing – Once the print had been exposed, it albumen print in the 1850s. Salt Prints are made by still had to be developed, and here again we see many coating fine-quality writing paper with light-sensitive different developing agents being used, with disciples chemicals and sodium chloride (ordinary salt). They for each. Some developers were good for highlights, produce varying shades of brown or sepia with a matte others for the darker areas. Toning is usually done afsurface. ter the print has been normally processed.

• Albumen Prints were the most common photograph Sepia toning is a specialized treatment to give a blackic print in the 19th century. Albumen prints are made and-white photographic print a warmer tone and to enby coating paper with albumen (egg white) and sodi- hance its archival qualities. The name originates from um chloride (ordinary salt), producing a rich sepia col- the pigment originally used called sepia which was obour and a slightly glossy surface. Albumen prints were tained from a cuttlefish of that name found in the Engoften toned with gold chloride to subdue the sepia lish channel tone and improve the permanence of the photograph. Selenium toning is a popular archival toning process, • Calotypes (Also called Talbotype) – invented in that gives either a red-brown tone, or a a purple-brown By 1880 wet plates were being replaced by commercially manufactured dry plates, which were far more convenient to use and much more sensitive, as all you needed to do was put the dry plate in its plate holder into a camera, expose it, then take it home for processing.

Photographers had to wait until about 1920 for glass plates to be replaced by much lighter sheet film.

Making prints

www.ctps.co.za

•

Copyright 2014

•

Cape Town Photographic Society

-7-

tone — depending on the dilution of the toning solution.

Turning disasters into special effects: Sometimes, while working in the darkroom an accident happens – someone opened the door, or the developer got too hot, or any other number of things. Very occasionally, instead of completely ruining the image being processed, an interesting image resulted that traditionalists would discard, but creative types looked at and said WOW! Solarisation, and Reticulation are examples of this.

Projecting images

Cape Camera • February 2015

We hope this brief look back to the early equipment and techniques has inspired you – perhaps to do more research on your own. It will be a great loss to photography if future generations never experienced the thrill of working in a darkroom and seeing an image slowly appear out of nowhere as it soaks in the developer In this, our 125th Anniversary year, perhaps the time has come for CTPS to find some way of bringing these old techniques back to life in a more meaningful way than just as written articles – say perhaps in a series of 125th Anniversary memorial workshops each devoted to a particular technique, or the establishment of a Historical Processes and Equipment section of the society?

If you feel that there is merit in keeping these techniques alive please drop a line to the editor of Cape Camera at editor@ctps.co.za. — Joy Wellbeloved.

The history of projecting images onto surfaces goes back to primitive people seeing shadows from the fire on cave walls. In the early days of photography, all images to be projected were made as contact prints simply by placing the developed glass negative on top of the unexposed glass plate of the same size (emulsion sides in the middle), and then exposing the combination to light for the required time, then developing it. These positive correct exposure.

An alternative to magnesium ribbon was flash powder, images on glass were called lantern slides. a dangerously explosive mixture of magnesium powder and potassium chlorate, which burned faster, and gave A photo of a magic lan- more light. tern in CTPS Collection. Magic lanterns Note the chimney to allow the heat from The history of the development of the light source in the burning lamp to Magic Lanterns is an interesting one. For the first 20 escape. years, oil lamps and candles were the only sources of

light available. Their low light output limited them to small audiences. However, by the 1870s, Magic Lanterns started using dazzling white limelight.

Limelight is produced by directing a very hot flame onto the surface of a pellet of lime. The flame of a spirit lamp was placed near the pellet of lime and a jet of oxygen was Illuminants – the quest for brightness used to raise the temperature of the flame and force it Photography is all about light. The need for more light against the surface of the lime to produce a brilliant white affected two main areas: while taking the photograph, light. An even brighter limelight could be produced using an oxygen and hydrogen jet. With brighter sources and while projecting the image in a Magic Lantern. of light available, magic lanterns could be used to project When magnesium burns it produces a larger images to larger audiences. light like daylight. Photographers soon The age of the Magic Lantern show was used it to illuminate scenes. Exposures born. Sometimes two or three Magic lanwere controlled simply — more magneterns were used simultaneously creating, sium gives more light. simulated movement. And so a whole Magnesium ribbon was easy to measure new genre of entertainment was born . . . and cut to the required length to get the

www.ctps.co.za

•

Copyright 2014

•

Cape Town Photographic Society

Cape Camera • February 2015

CTPS 125 years:

-8-

A topless view of Cape Town As part of the March 125 Year Celebration CTPS members saw Capw Town from an unusual angle: the top of a Red tourist bus with a route and stops organised specifically for the trip by Keith Bull. This is what members caught on camera

Cape Town’s lights were captured from Signal Hill by Jacoba van Zyl (top left) and Karyn Parisi (top right), who also photographed the star on the hill (left) with an alternative view by Pat Scott on the right.

She also took the unique light images on the left and right.

Bottom left: Sunset on the way to Camps Bay by Johan Greeff.

Below: Returning to Cape Town harbour at night, by Richard Goldschmidt.

Sakkie Smit at the sunset pitstop, captured

by Stella Coram.

www.ctps.co.za

•

Copyright 2014

•

Cape Town Photographic Society

-9-

Cape Camera • February 2015 Hout Bay images by Robert Maginley (left), Stella Coram (second row left), Johan Greeff (below middle and right).

Third row left: The foreshore by Stella Coram and middle: the coast line at sunset, captured by Lorinda Rodrigues.

Far left and middle above: Statues by Elley Biggs.

Above: Seen in Hout Bay by Richard Goldschmidt.

Penny Cross captured the images of the Castle (below) and organisers Keith Bull and Richard Goldschmidt herding the members on to the bus (left).

This refreshment stop along the way to Camps Bay was photographed by Lorinda Rodrigues.

www.ctps.co.za

•

Copyright 2014

•

Cape Town Photographic Society

- 10 -

Cape Camera • February 2015

CTPS members on the bus (cont.)

Apart from photographing Cape Town from an unusual vantage point, CTPS members had plenty of fun on the Red Bus Tour

1

2

5

4

3

6

The images on this page were taken by:

7

1. Julie Dyer; 2. Barbara Hallock; 3..Andre Wijne; 4. Richard Goldschmidt;

8

5. Tessa Louw;

9

6. Sakkie Smit; 7. Julie Dyer; 8. Leslie Maginley; 9. Jacoba van Zyl.

Forthcoming 125 Year celebration event reminders Visit the CTPS website (www.ctps.co.za) for updates on the exciting outings, exhibition, competitions and mini-Congress planned for the year.

Bein Wein April 25: This outing to a private cellar

and hike to a spectacular vantage point overlooking the Vlottenburg vineyards is fully subscribed. Contact Pat Scott at p.a.charteris@gmail.com to find out about last minute cancellations.

www.ctps.co.za

•

Copyright 2014

De Hoop May 29-31: The Mini-congress at De Hoop is

also booked to capacity (60 people). Contact Pat Scott at p.a.charteris@gmail.com in case of cancellations.

The speakers will be Paul Bruins (Photographing the Night Skies), Chris Fallows (Above, below and beyond), Nicole Palmer (Evocative Images), Martin Osner (The Art of Photography), and Guy Palmer (An Introduction to De Hoop Nature Reserve).

•

Cape Town Photographic Society

- 11 -

Cape Camera • February 2015

Audio-visual news update

A

ROBERT MAGINLEY reports on the March AV presentation and events to look forward to during the rest of the year

t the March AV meeting we had a very interesting talk by Juan Venter, who showed us a different angle to making AV’s emotion, which was very enlightening and informative.

Further AV’s were shown and we discussed various items, such as the use of Internet images, sound and transitions used. We also gave members a salon update (see below), including salons without patronage.

CTPS Salon The CTPS 125th Anniversary AV Salon brochure and entry forms for groups as well as individuals are available on the PSSA website (www.pssa.co.za). This will form part of the comprehensive CTPS 125th Anniversary AV Salon in October, which will include digital as well as print salons, and it is hoped that there would be a good entry from the AV Members..

There are two sections to the AV salon. The Documentary section will be judged by Thomas Niemeyer, Friso Woudstra and Paddy Howes, while the Open section judges are Izak van Niekerk, Ronnie Hazel and Ingrid Gane.

The closing date for entries in this AV salon is 24 October, 2015. Contact AV Festival Director Nellian Bekker at nellian@wam.co.za with enquieries.

125 Year Celebrations The AV section has been asked to produce an audio-visual report of the events and outings organised this year to celebrate our 125th anniversary - so please put on your thinking caps and let us have your ideas!

Members are encouraged to please load images they take at the events they attend to the 125th anniversary album created under on Photovault (see p3) so that we may include them in the AV.

Salon

Attention PTE users Renowned AV maker from the UK, Linda Gibb, kindly forwarded the online address where training documentation for the use of PTE software can be found, namely: http://docs.picturestoexe.com/en/main.

We have already had three very successful events, Table Mountain in January, Stanford in February and The Red Bus Tour in March. Images can still be submitted for any of these events.

April AV meeting Next month’s AV meeting will be on Wednesday 15 April April – this is a week later than normal, due to Easter. It will be a competition night and I am pleased to say that we have two entries already.

There are two sections – Open or enter one of our Challenges, which are: Plant Kingdom; My Favourite Song; Monochrome; Tell us a Story with less than 6 images; Light Spectrum; Some Narration; 1 minute AV; Animal Kingdom; Abstract and Imagination.

You may only use a title once during the year. There are prizes for the best in each section and also for the best beginner Please note that the club’s new projector can accommodate 16/9 format and members are encouraged to use this format.

We hope to see your AV’s in April – closing date Sunday 19th April. Send details of your entry to Robert Maginley at rmaginley@worldonline.co.za bring your actual entry to the club on the 15th by 6.30pm

Deadline

Entry Fee & details

Trophée de Paris FPF Patronage

4 April 2015

€15 - http://www.tropheedeparis.montageaudiovisuel.fr/

A Photoreporter - Theme: Photojournalism PSA (rec.), FIAP, ISF, CEDF, FCDF

30 April 2015

€20 individual or €10 for clubs with more than 10 entrants - http://www. aphotoreporter.com

Citta di Garda. FIAF Patronage

1 May 2015

€18 per AV - http://www.fiaf.net/diaf

Knysna/George National AV Salon PSSA Patronage

14 May 2015

See: www.pssa.co.za/salons-mainmenu-81/salon-calendar/for-yearending-june-2015/1068-2015-05-14-knysna-george-national-av-salon

PSSA National AV Salon PSSA Patronage CTPS AV Salon PSSA Patronage

PSSA Members R50 / R75 per group. Non-PSSA members R75 / R100 / group - www.pssa.co.za/salons-mainmenu-81/salon-calendar/for-yearending-june-2016/1064-2015-07-15-pssa-av-salon 24 October 2015 See: www.pssa.co.za/salons-mainmenu-81/salon-calendar/for-yearending-june-2016/974-2015-10-24-cape-town-salon

Tauranga AV Salon (no patronage)

10 June 2015

NZD $23.00 for the first AV entry and NZD $11.00 for each additional AV - http://taurangaphoto.org.nz/tga-av-salon/

AV Makers-S.A. club.

PSSA recognition, no patronage

01 Nov2015

Theme: Light. Entry is free - http://goo.gl/soh9aW

www.ctps.co.za

15 July 2015

•

Copyright 2014

•

Cape Town Photographic Society

Cape Camera • February 2015

- 12 -

E & D shows the unknown side of South Africa

Seen through the lens of Juhan Kuus

P

Through his photos Juhan Kuus shows the uncomfortable truth of what happens behind closed doors — whether it is gang members socialising, police misbehaving, transgressions during the civil unrest committed by security forces, right wingers or opposing forces, children in jail, or the gang bosses controlling some Cape Minstrel troops. Over the past 45 years he has photographed people, places and events most South Africans hardly ever sees — or the famous only seen from a distance. KARYN PARISI reports back on his eyeopening talk at the E&D evening in March

hotographer Justreet photography and han Kuus gave farm life he captures. He CTPS members is a source of inspiration the opportunity for us all. to see some outstanding He is especially fasciand thought provoking nated by hands and feet, photography, taken during and the contrast of commany South African hisbining old age and youth torical moments over the in a photo. He mainly past 40 years, during the shoots in black and white March Education and Deand only uses colour velopment meeting. when the image specifiJuhan showed a vast arcally warrants it. When ray of his photography, walking the streets, his covering topics as diverse eyes are constantly scanas birds in the Bo Kaap, E & D organisers Karyn and Dante Parisi flanking Juhan Kuus. ning the envirtonment for gangs and their bosses, unusual shapes or images violence and the tragic futo capture.

His approach as a press photographer had nerals that followed, the It was a privilege to been to “get in and stay with it until the very Cape Minstrels — including share his journey and exend — do it so well that the guy who comes behind the scenes images periences …. and also to in after me cannot do it better. of white pipe smoking and see how he dares to break gun toting — slaughtering the rules! rituals involving animals, animal rescue and euthani“But, you must learn all the photographic rules so that sation, right and left wing aspects of Apartheid, police you know how to break them,” he cautions. intervention with domestic violence and brutal mishan- Juhan’s mentors dling of black people; MCPQ parades in Cape Town, and public figures such as Nelson Mandela, Bill Clinton, FW His approach as a press photographer had been to “get de Klerk, Winnie Mandela, Betsy Verwoerd, Fidel Castro, in and stay with it until the very end — do it so well that the guy who comes in after me cannot do it better.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Michael Jackson.

“I am a photographer, adventurer and story-teller, not Juhan’s vivid stories about photographing presidents an artist,” he says.

Mandela and Clinton in Madiba’s Robben Island cell, the His uncompromising work has often been compared Cuban doctors and the pig, and Boipatong funeral where he narrowly escaped with his life, illustrate just how to that of the famous Weegee, whom he acknowledges much determination, drive and commitment he had as was an inspiration.

“The New York photographer that has had so big an ina photographer, and how much he dared to engage and fluence on me is Weegee (Arthur Fellig) was introduced push the limits with the people he photographed.

Juhan's brilliant eye for photography and composition to me by my number two mentor, Jimmy Soullier (late can be seen in even the simplest day to day scenes of as in very dead) who was the chief photographer on

www.ctps.co.za

•

Copyright 2014

•

Cape Town Photographic Society

- 13 -

Cape Camera • February 2015

the Sunday Times (Johannesburg), who in turn was great friends with Magnum (London) photographer Ian Berry (my number one mentor),” he explains.

“Little Jimmy poached me from the Rand Daily Mail newspaper.

“I had studied Cartier Bresson and Weegee and Eugene Smith to try to come up with my own (hopefully) unique approach. I admire the discipline of Cartier Bresson and the abandon of Weegee. I recommend all three. They are all brilliant.”

Some of the photographc lessons Juhan learnt from the greats, which he tried to emulate in his work, are: Robert Capa: If your pictures aren’t good enough, you aren’t close enough.

Jimmy Soullier: Focus on the eyes, eyes, eyes.

Ian Berry: The less equipment I carry, the happier I am.

Juhan nowadays mainly shoots with a Canon with a 18 —135mm lens.

Within a week after the devastating fires on Table Mountain Anton Crone photographed this protea for an Africa Geographic blog on how the fynbos was being reborn.

How an iconic shot was captured

One of Juhan Kuus’ images that is instantly recognised is the photo of then president Bill Clinton and the late Pres. Mandela peering through the bars in his cell on Robben Island. Juhan was part of the pool of photographers allowed on the trip who were each given 30 seconds to get the shot of the presidents and their wives in the tiny cell... which he knew was not a good image.

Photographer Louise Gubb and Juhan were the last two in line to take the picture, by which time the security and protocal people were already ushering the presidential couples out of the cell. Louise kicked butt, he recounts, and the White House representative asked Clinton to return to the cell. “Madiba knew his presidential press pool and when he saw me, he brought Clinton back to the cell.” They were the only two photographers of the whole press contingent who got that famous photo.

Protecting their faces against the ash children help clear the mountain of broken glass that can cause future fires if heated by the glare of the sun. Photo by Anton Crone.

Changing perceptions of Africa at April E&D meeting

The E&D speaker for April will be Anton Crone, better known as Ant, the editor in chief of Africa Geographic, an online magazine and blog that celebrates Africa and aims to inspire people to do good for the continent. It has an international readership of wildlife, culture and travel enthusiasts numbering over 200 000 a month with over 1 200 000 social media followers, reports Karyn Parisi.

Ant will be talking on Changing people’s perceptions of the ‘Dark Continent’through photography and travel. The photographs he will show will include a range from some of the most viewed galleries and photo essays in the online magazine, and images from his personal travels in Africa.

One of the recent blogs that will resonate with most Capetonians is the photos and description of how life was returning to Table Mountain within days after the devastating fires earlier this month (see above from

cape-town-fire-fynbos-table-mountain-life-in-the-ashes. He and Christian Boix, Africa Geographic’s travel director and resident ornithologist visited the mountain after fires devastated 5 500 hectares of fynbos. I didn’t expect to see it a landscape teeming with life, and yet it was, he writes. The sensation was one mixed with awe at the devastation, and wonder at the nature that has survived or is already emerging.

From the Himba Wild Born gallery by Alegra Ally. See: http://magazine.africageographic.com/ weekly/issue-15/ gallery-himbawomen-namibia-alegra-ally:

http://magazine.africageographic.com/weekly/issue-37/

www.ctps.co.za

•

Copyright 2014

•

Cape Town Photographic Society

Cape Camera • February 2015

- 14 -

As a follow-up to Peter Haarhoff’s talk on Star Trail Photography last year, eight CTPS members recently joined him on a star studded photographic weekend in Sutherland. Several of them say that this was the best photographic experience of their lives, reports KARYN PARISI. She and Dante Parisi liaised with Haarhoff to organise the weekend

Star trail weekend in Sutherland

O

ne of the best photographic experiences, Being ever optimistic, we decided it would clear and wonderful weekend, action packed and fun waited while a very misty, ghostly SALT kept appearing are just some of the enthusiastic responses and disappearing in front of us. from the eight CTPS members who went with After an hour of waiting and some group photos, we Peter Haarhoff to Sutherland on a star trail photographic decided to pack it up and returned to enjoy a lovely weekend from 13-15 March. breakfast and set up our computers.

Shortly after arriving, After a short talk by Pewe were given a very ter on Startrax (software Once it was dark enough, we could begin our informative lecture on developed primarily for first hour of remote shots — hoping for the star trail photography. star trails), we started to best! It got very chilly during the course of the We then drove to SALT edit our photos. There evening ... but it was worth it.

(South African Large Telwas much excitement to escope) and with Peter’s see our remote images guidance set up our tripods and evaluated our test shots transform into star trails! for composition and exposure.”

That evening, we drove to a farm to photograph star Once it was dark enough, we could begin our first hour trails, and incorporated various foregrounds, ranging of remote shots — hoping for the best! It got very chilly from farm houses and windmills, to fallen tree logs and during the course of the evening ... but it was worth it. ponds.

We only returned home to their cottages at about 1.30 It was a very exciting night with some light painting inin the morning and were up again four hours later to cluded as well. Much later that night we were treated to catch the early sunrise. Unfortunately, there was no sun- a viewing of planets and stars through Jurg's telescopes rise, just a freezing mist. at Sterland.

www.ctps.co.za

•

Copyright 2014

•

Cape Town Photographic Society

- 15 -

Cape Camera • February 2015

Opposite page left: Jacoba van Zyl’s star trail with a silhouette of SALT. Opposite page right: Pat Scott’s photo of the Milky Way and SALT. Left: Pat Scott photographed the CTPS members braving the chilly morning mist, hoping for a sunrise: Cathy Bruce, Peter Haarhoff, Jenny Powis, Kathy Priday, Joan Ward, Dante and Karyn Parisi.

The next morning we had the unexpected surprise of meeting Divashen Govender, one of the five South Africans selected to be a potential candidate to go to Mars in 2024. They were recently selected out of 100 worldwide applicants who made the first cut, after more than 200 000 people initially applied.

He is a very brave young man, who said his family had initially struggled to come to terms with the fact that

if he was finally chosen to go to Mars, he would never return.

On our way home, we stopped briefly at Matjiesfontein, where Peter set us the task of photographing something in the museum. The winning picture, chosen by voting on his website, will be awarded the floating Hubcap Trophy at our next CTPS meeting.

All in all a fantastic weekend, definitely to be repeated!

A weekend enjoyed by all attendees Joan Ward: Sutherland is synonymous with stars, add to that Peter Haarhoff’s well organised workshop on star trails, and the result is a wonderful weekend for those members who were lucky enough to take part,” says Joan Ward. “Thank you Karyn and Dante for the initiative.”

Pat Scott: What a wonderful experience the trip to Sutherland was — probably one of the best E&D Outings in a long time. It truly was an educational outing as we learnt not only how to shoot the stars, but also about the stars.

Peter Haarhoff gave an informative lecture plus notes before we went out to face the challenge of capturing the most amazing sky; then once out in the field he somehow managed to give general guidance, as well as give us all personal attention. Not an easy feat in the dark, in the middle of the night!

The whole weekend took a great deal of organisation and it was a HUGE success ... big thanks to Karyn, Dante and Peter!

Jenny Powis: It was an action packed fun weekend in Sutherland. The program was balanced as there was downtime during the day. I am pleased we went to SALT on the first night as we were all shooting in the same area, same subject (SALT and star trails) so Peter could teach us as a group.

www.ctps.co.za

•

Copyright 2014

The second night we had choices of subject matter so we could spread out and at the same time I felt more confident about shooting star trails because I had been trained the night before. The second night was the most perfect location for star trails! I would do it all over again.

Cathy Bruce: Thank you so much for the lovely weekend. It was a really a magical getaway, literally to the stars, which pervaded every part of the tour to Sutherland. I returned with wisdom to absorb and a great sense of enlightenment about Sutherland, the SALT experience, celestial observation from the south and how to capture star trails.

All this, and a lovely place to stay in, delicious food, exceptional company, jokes, music and dancing.

I can't wait to get my camera out at midnight and to return to Sutherland. Peter Haarhoff made this a truly exceptional experience.

Jacoba van Zyl: It was one of my the best — if not the best — photographic experience ever. I learned a lot and even though it was long hours, Peter's energy and fun way with which he presents the workshop just kept you going.

The other activities, food (way too much) and accommodation all added to make the weekend an unforgettable experience.

•

Cape Town Photographic Society

Cape Camera • February 2015

- 16 -

PSSA Entries:

Every month a judge must nominate a competition entry from a senior and junior photographer to enter in the PSSA club competition.

PDI Set Intermediate winner and PSSA junior entry: Eternity (25) by Kathy Priday. Judge Antenie Carstens liked the technique she used to create the image and tell a symbolic story. “The colours — light and dark shades of blue — are nice and the two images (right and person on the left) create a balance.”

PDI Open Salon winner: Arpeggios (25) by Kim Stevens. It is a good example of the importance of repetition, with the two birds that are different giving balance. “The high contrast works well, said judge Antenie Carstens.

Competition News

The judges of the March competition were all seasoned club and salon judges, and are all members of CTPS. Detlef Basel (middle) has been CTPS president for nine years and has been judging salons and competitions for many years. Antenie Carstens, who commented on the images, is not only a very experienced judge, but also developed a curriculum for the Western Cape Judging Forum (see p20). Alicia Greyling, who also assists with the judging forum, has also judged many competitions. As in the previous two competitions with three judges, the average score per image was 22, with the scores of the individual judges averaging 21, 22 and 23.

Our April judges are Peter Brandt, Kim Stevens (middle) and Joy Wellbeloved.

Interesting mix of experience in April judging panel

Fish Hoek Photographic Society chairman and monochrome boffin, Peter Brandt, will be the judge commenting on images during the April competition evening ... which could be quite interesting, considering his quirky sense of humour. He has been asked to speak on Monochrome as part of the WC Judging Forum curriculum (see p20), and is therefore well schooled in the subject.

Brandt has a fine arts qualitfication from the Wits Technikon and runs his own web and graphic design company.

He says he became seriously involved with photography about five years ago, and has since then made a name as educational speaker, including at a CTPS E&D evening.

Kim Stevens has not only developed into one of CTPS’ top photographers — who got her LPSSA in record time

www.ctps.co.za

•

Copyright 2014

— during the past three years that she has been a member, she is also constantly expanding her horizons by attending photographic workshops (recently in Namibia), including the WC Judging Forum course. “I love learning,” she says.

And it was through attending a course by Canadian Freeman Patterson that she became hooked on photography. “It was an epiphany,” she says.

Joy Wellbeloved, introduced to members in the January issue of Cape Camera, is a longstanding CTPS members and former president, who also headed the AV section.

Always broadening her knowledge, she is experimenting with different macro techniques while doing historical research for the 125 Year articles in Cape Camera.

•

Cape Town Photographic Society

- 17 -

Cape Camera • February 2015

Winning and top images March

Set subject: Composite images Left: PDI Set Salon winner: Lippizaners in Transition (25)

by Jeanette Brusnicky.

“Well seen and well executed,” said Antenie, who complimented the use of different light sources.

Right above: PDI Set Advanced winner: Treescape at Sesriem (24)

by Cathy Bruce Wright is a nicely executed montage with pleasing colours that don’t compete.

Above: PDI Set Salon: Venice through the ages (24)

by John Spence.

PDI Set Salon: Run through the Park (24) by Pat Scott.

Print Set Intermediate winner: Lisa Dreaming (24) by Kathy Priday.

Print Set Advanced winner: Fantasy (24) by Cathy Bruce Wright.

Above: Print Set Advanced: The Intrepid Water Carrier (23) by Dante Parisi.

Print Set Advanced: Gorillas in the Mist (23) by Karyn Parisi.

www.ctps.co.za

•

PDI Set Advanced: Learning to Read (23) by Robert Maginley.

Copyright 2014

•

Cape Town Photographic Society

Cape Camera • February 2015

- 18 -

Open section winners

Left: Print Open Advanced winner: Snowy Owl Cove (23) by Karyn Parisi.

Above: Print Open Intermediate winner: A day is long (21)

by Kathy Priday.

Left: PDI Open Advanced winner: Blou berg (24) by Mo Bassa.

Left below: PDI Open Intermediate winner: Cheeky Face (22) by Cathy Jenkins.

Right below: PDI Open Beginner winner: Low key flowers (23) by Paul Nuttal.

Bottom left and middle: PDI Open Advanced: Leida on 4th of July (23) plus The birth of Solange (23) by Anna Morris.

Bottom right: Print Open Salon: Twists and Turns (24) by Malcolm Jones.

www.ctps.co.za

•

Copyright 2014

•

Cape Town Photographic Society

- 19 -

Cape Camera • February 2015

Top scoring images

PDI Open Salon: Arabian desert sunset (25) by Lambe Parolis.

Left: PDI Open Salon: Sea dawn in pastel shades (25) by Jean Bradshaw.

PDI Open Salon: Fly away with me (24) by Jeanette du Toit.

Right: PDI Open Salon: Underground Basilica (24) by John Spence.

PDI Open Salon: Our daily routine (24) by Jeanette du Toit.

PDI Open Salon: Speeding off (24) by Joan Ward.

Right: Print Set Subject Advanced: Chameleon web by Karyn Parisi.

Please remember to give feedback to council about the new three judge-panel system introduced for a fourmonth trail period until April. Members will be asked to vote after the April competition evening on the best way to proceed. Apart from introducing the multi-person judging panel, images are now sent to the judges before the competition evening, but they don’t judge remotely.

Give your feedback on the new system to competition convenor Lesley Parolis on competitions@ctps.co.za.

www.ctps.co.za

•

Copyright 2014

•

Cape Town Photographic Society

Cape Camera • February 2015

- 20 -

The course developers Celia Fourie and CTPS member Antenie Carstens.

Western Cape PSSA director Johan Kloppers welcomed attendees.

Judging training start

T

The new cycle of the Western Cape Judging Forum promises to be an interesting and thought-provoking journey. With more than a third of the participants from CTPS, the society will benefit from the knowledge they’ll gain over the next eighteen months

he new cycle of the Western Cape (WC) Judging progress and to establish a pool of skilled judges that clubs Forum promises to be much more than judge a can use with confidence, explained Celia. course on how to award scores. At the introductory Some of the shortcomings identified in current judging apmeeting previous participants talked about lessons proaches are lack of knowledge about judging, lack of techlearnt from the first cycle and issues like why do we judge, nical knowledge of photography, lack of confidence to comwhat is the difference between judging and critique, seeing ment, lack of opportunities to judge and a limited vision and an image from different viewpoints were among the topics ability to look at images with fresh eyes, said Antenie. These discussed at the introductory meeting of the 2015 Western will be addressed during the course.

Cape Judging Forum.

Johan will try and get PSSA accreditation for judges com“In the WC we don’t sit and wait, we do things, “ said PSSA pleting this comprehensive course compiled by Antenie. “To Western Cape director Johan Kloppers, referring to the un- become a judge, you have to keep on learning,” said Johan.

“I’ve been doing photogfulfilled promises from the PSSA to roll out the JAP proraphy for 40 years, and I’m The aim of the forum is to develop standstill learning. I’ll be doing gramme. ard guidelines for judging and to establish this course for the third The WC Judging Forum a pool of skilled judges that clubs can use time.”

(Antenie Carstens, Celia Antenie pointed out that Fouche, Johan Kloppers and with confidence. there is a difference beAlicia Greyling) was founded in 2011 when they realised tween judging and critique: that poor judging at club level was disappointing members, judging is a personal opinion based on certain criteria, while yet the “PSSA JAP programme was going nowhere,” ex- critique is more informative. If you judge in a balanced way, you will understand the image from the point of view of all plained Celia.

They decided to address the problem and devise a work- four owners of a photograph identified by David Prakel: the shop course open to all WC club members, whether they are photographer, subject, viewer, editor/judge/curator.

“The needs and rights of each of these people differ from PSSA members, or not. This year they opened it even wider to club members aiming to hone their skills, without neces- image to image, and may be expressed even before an image is taken,” he said. A judge from a commercial background sarily wanting to become judges.

The aim of the forum is to develop standard guidelines for would, for example, look at an image from a different perjudging, to give judges continuous feedback regarding their spective than a club photographer.

www.ctps.co.za

•

Copyright 2014

•

Cape Town Photographic Society

- 21 -

Cape Camera • February 2015

Feedback from previous Judging Forums It is not really important how an effect was achieved, what is important is what you see as the end result

He quoted Thomas Wheeler who said that an image can mean different things to different people, or even different things to one person at different times.

Personal preference or prejudice is a judging pitfall that was discussed at some length, especially when a judge is not really interested in a certain type of photography, or does not have knowledge of a genre.

A judge should practice refining his/ her techniques to become skilled in the art of judging, and also be open to freshness and the successful breaking of rules, advised Antenie.

Making wrong assumptions “As a judge you should be aware you could be wrong about the assumptions you make, for example about a technique: sometimes a photographer just enter to make judge sit up and think ... he did not use the technique you think.”

It is not really important how an effect was achieved, what is important is what you see as the end result, suggested Jan Marais.

“Judging is not an exact science,” said Antenie, and therefore you might give a different score at a different time. The way images are assessed at clubs, when you only have a few brief moments to comment, is different to when it is assessed in a different environment like a salon, exhibition or for publication, etc.

Qualities needed in a judge A judge should try not to unduly favour or penalise an image based on subject matter, the technique used, difficulty in creating the photograph and personally knowing the photographer, or the club where the image originated.

A judge should apply scores consistently and compare quality, no matter what technique was used, he advised.

“Merit must not be based on the image seen before or after — even if it is the third or fourth sunset that comes up.”

Use the entire scale to reward fresh-

www.ctps.co.za

•

The course is a journey, and even though he found it frustrating at times, he realised how important it was to continue, said Jan Marais, who advised that the the value of the course will depend on how you interpret the experiences you gain for yourself. The course helped him to understand and justify why he agreed or disagreed with the assessment by others. The basics of visual design are at the core of all judging: patterns, rhythm, repetition, etc. The “rules” about what makes an image pleasing were devised more than hundred years ago when the first photographers compared their images and identified some pointers, which are still valid. Ask yourself when looking at an image: what did the photographer want to tell me and did he succeed?

ness and to differentiate between images. “Just be honest and if a picture is very good, say so,” Antenie advises.

There are some personal shortcomings some judges have to overcome, like the inability to be open to suggestions from other judges, being stuck with old ideas or old technologies (e.g. condemning the use of Photoshop), an inability to see beyond the rules and an inability to look beyond the obvious.

If want you to judge, ask yourself some questions, he suggested: how often do I look at pictures other than my own, do I read photographic books (internet articles are often wrong) or subscribe to photographic journals?

Am I a member of an organisation like PSSA or similar, do I visit photographic or photo related exhibitions? Do I enter regional, national or international competitions or exhibitions?

Copyright 2014

•

An excellent course for everybody, said Claude Felbert. He found that he needed a lot of practice commenting and that writing down his comments helped. “You are under a lot of pressure when judging and a judge often sees new things when he comments, which might not tally with the score given.” Comments are more important than the score, because they teach the people who are present, he thinks. He recommends splitting into small groups and having practice sessions discussing images, perhaps with an experienced judge as mentor. He also cautioned that while people who had attended the judging forum are good at making good comments, but over-generous when giving scores, because they don’t want to offend club members.

The initial course was excellent, said Roger Lee, who said he learnt a lot about different genres. “We are priviliged to have this unique course and it is a wonderful opportunity offered by the people here who put in a tremendous amount of hard work.”

Cape Town Photographic Society

Cape Camera • February 2015

- 22 -

125 Year celebration diary Save these dates for 2015

Bein Wein Private Cellar outing in Vlottenburg with wine tasting at sunset. Donkeys transport cameras. Limited number can go — enquiries Pat Scott at p.a. charteris@gmail.com.

April 25, 2015

CTPS Congress for members in De Hoop Nature Reserve. Expect top speakers like Chris Fallows, Paul Bruins, Martin Osner and Nicole Palmer. (See p12). Contact Pat Scott at p.a.charteris@gmail.com.

May 29-31, 2015

Schools photo competition launched.

June 2015

Outing in Stellenbosch area under guidance of a renowned photographer.

July 20 to 4 August, 2015

Exhibition of members’ work across 125 years in Artscape Opera House foyer.

Postberg outing during flower season.

Date and details to be confirmed.

August 2015

PSSA National Congress in Swellendam 9-14 August. Organised by Swellendam Photographic Society and Cape Photographers. See PSSA website at www.pssa.co.za (Congress tab).

September 16, 2015

An illustrated talk on the club’s 125 years’ history. Possible AV shown?

October 2015

Cape Town Photographic Society 125th Anniversary Salon for print (Antenie Carstens), PDI (Lesley Parolis), AV (Nellian Bekker). Coordinated by Nicol du Toit.

On October 30th, the society’s birthday will be celebrated with a gala dinner at Granger Bay with a good speaker, where old and current members will be honoured.

www.ctps.co.za

•

Copyright 2014

•

Cape Town Photographic Society